People are well-aware of the normal conditions that exist in public restrooms. In short, the general public cannot depend on public restrooms to be clean and sanitary. In fact, experience indicates that public restrooms are not generally clean and sanitary throughout. It is not uncommon to find the floors of such public restrooms dirty and even wet with urine in and around urinal and commode areas. Further, toilet paper is often missing. Paper-type toilet seat covers are available in some public restrooms but on average one cannot rely on such commode seat covers being readily available in public restrooms. Even when available, commode seat covers are relatively thin sheets of paper, and frankly, the general public is skeptical as to whether such really affords any protection at all.
One of the problems faced by the general public in frequenting public restrooms is that of germs. Obviously, commode seats, upper commode rims and the commode in general will carry a host of germs and even bacteria. This is indeed a significant danger to the general public, especially older people, women and children.
The prior art offers some early attempts at meeting the needs noted above. This early prior art is reflected in the following patents:
a) U.S. Pat. No. 1,563,236, to Smith, teaches a portable toilet seat which utilizes a pair of U-shaped pivotal legs, pivotal from the underside of a circular toilet seat.
b) U.S. Pat. No. 1,379,374, to Wagner, relates a folding chair having a seat with a central commode opening, and four individually pivotal legs.
c) U.S. Pat. No. 1,223,065, to Meyer, discloses a portable toilet seat similar to that taught by Smith.
d) DE Pat. No. 1,051,467, to Elgin, teaches a child's fixed stool which is adapted to be positioned over a conventional toilet.
Despite these prior art efforts, there continues to be a need for a portable commode seat that can be easily carried by the general public when they are traveling, and which can be used in public toilet areas to avoid germs and other harmful bacteria and the like. The manner by which such needs are met will become clearer in the following specification.